Alexander Macomb
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| Name | Alexander Macomb | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant (Liberty) | ||
| Tonnage | 7.191 tons | ||
| Completed | 1942 - Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards Inc., Baltimore MD | ||
| Owner | A.H. Bull & Co Inc, New York | ||
| Homeport | Baltimore | ||
| Date of attack | 3 Jul, 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-215 (Fritz Hoeckner) | ||
| Position | 41.48N, 66.35W - - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 66 (10 dead and 56 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | BX-27 | ||
| Route | New York - Woods Hole MA - Halifax - Archangel | ||
| Cargo | 9000 tons of military equipment, tanks, planes and explosives | ||
| History | | ||
| Notes on loss | The Alexander Macomb was on her maiden voyage. During the night of 3 Jul, 1942, heavy fog and fear of collision caused the ship to fall astern of the convoy BX-27. The master Carl Monsen Froisland maintained an intermittent zigzag course and was attempting to catch the convoy in daylight. She had reached the rear of the convoy and had about seven ships and a escort vessel in sight when at 12.30 hours a torpedo from U-215 struck between #4 and #5 holds, causing the cargo of explosives to ignite and burst into flames. The eight officers, 33 crewmen and 25 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in, four 20mm and two .30cal guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats and one raft, but because the ship was still under way one boat capsized. Other survivors jumped into the water and hung onto pieces of wreckage. At 13.00 hours the ship sank by the stern about 175 miles East of Cape Cod MA. 15 minutes later the HMS Le Tiger (FY 243) rescued 23 crew members and eight armed guards and brought them to Woods Hole on 4 July. The HMCS Regina (K 234) picked up 14 crew members and 11 armed guards and taken to Halifax. Six armed guards and four crew members died in the attack.
U-215 was sunk with all hands by depth charges from the HMS Le Tiger (FY 243) shortly after the attack. | ||
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